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Vault 110
Vault 110 was a Vault-Tec vault located underneath the ruins of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse in Buxton, North Carolina. The only vault in the Broken Banks area, Vault 110 resides in the intertidal zone of Hatteras Island. For years, the vault remained unopened due to the high population of Mirelurks and the constant danger of flooding should the doors be opened during high tide. This was intended in its design; Vault-Tec's experiment was to subject people to the constant maintenance required to keep a sinking vault in working order. In 2198, due to a failing water chip, broken food synthesizers, a riot broke out. The residents, with the aid of a faction of security guards, forced the Overseer to open the Vault door. When he did, the Vault began to flood. Attracted to the noise, Mirelurks stormed the Vault. Those few who survived scattered to the winds. Now, Vault 110's lower levels are entirely flooded. The floors and walls are rusted through in certain parts, exposing the once-airtight fallout shelter to the elements. Mirelurks make their lairs deep in the Vault. The weight of the water on the super-structure has caused the ground to sink even further, pulling Cape Hatteras Lighthouse into the Atlantic. History Construction and Purpose In 2042, Cape Hatteras lighthouse was sold to Carolina Coastal Real Estate for less than a million dollars. This company was absorbed by Vault-Tec in 2053. There were a number of proposed sites for the Vault, though Cape Hatteras was eventually chosen as the site of Vault 110 in order to stimulate the failing Outer Banks economy. The construction of Vault 110 began in 2060. Supports for the lighthouse were constructed so the lighthouse did not cave in. The Vault, however, was built in such a way that, over time, it would start sinking as erosion took place. The purpose of the Vault was to observe the reactions of Vault inhabitants to a sinking Vault that was constantly exposed to salt water and erosion. Vault 110 was given a GECK. Upon delivery, the GECK was found to be faulty and unusable. Activities In their free time, Vault residents were able to enjoy various activities, including a game night every Friday, videos, and bake offs. There was also a salt water taffy production facility in the bowels of the Vault. Early Years When the bombs fell, the residents of coastal Carolina flocked to Vault 110. Being on an island, it took some time for residents to arrive. Vault 110 was one of the last vaults to seal its doors at midnight, October 24, 2077. Overseer Jenna Traves was its first overseer. Her tenure went well until 2097. She tried opening the Vault, which resulted in the engineering deck being flooded to knee height before she closed the Vault seemingly forever. The salt water eventually shorted the GECK. She passed away in 2113 to natural causes. As more overseers assumed their roles, it became evident that the Vault was slowly sinking. As the years went on and the Vault became more damaged by corrosion, residents continued to attempt to repair it. While some were successful, some areas became irreversibly sunken. By 2140, many residence halls and gathering places were condemned and abandoned. As time went on, the denizens of the vault considered opening the vault, hoping to escape the tedious task of repairing the constantly corroding vault. However, the risk of flooding the vault was simply too great. Later Years Though Vault 110 always required constant maintenance, its condition took a steep nosedive in the late 2100s. Complaints of loud banging on the other side of walls – walls that should have had nothing but bedrock on the other side – were legion in the Vault. These banging noises were precursors for what was to come. In 2187, a Mirelurk found its way into the Vault through a weak spot in the wall. Water flooded into the Vault and the Mirelurk went on a rampage, killing several people before being put down. The attack was, in many ways, a catalyst for a cascade failure to roll over the Vault. Though it began slowly, the damage done by the Mirelurk and the flood was simply too much for the Vault to handle. The sudden loss of so many people also created a manpower shortage. In 2191, the water chip gave out, followed by a short in the power generator. Desperate and scared, the Vault dwellers urged the Overseer to open the Vault. When he refused, a faction of security guards charged into the Overseer's office and demanded that he open the Vault at once. Overseer Ralph Chalmers complied with the faction and ordered the evacuation of the Vault. He opened the Vault at low tide. As the Vault door opened, horrified denizens watched as the half-flooded entrance room opened to reveal a nest crawling with Mirelurks. The Mirelurks quickly swarmed the room and devoured the denizens. Their tattletale clicks echoed through the Vault. Those on lower floors could only listen as the screams of their fellow vault dwellers were replaced with the sound of arthropod feet on the floor above, blood and water tricking down through elevators and seams in the ceiling. Only a lucky group of survivors who were trapped in a lower floor managed to escape the carnage. Taking an abandoned tunnel, they snuck their way up to the top floor in pitch-black hallways and tepid water. When they reached the Vault door, Mirelurks had already moved deeper into the Vault to feed on corpses there. During the group's attempt to flee, the door to the abandoned maintenance tunnel slammed shut behind them, alerting the Mirelurks to their presence. The survivors tried to run in ankle-deep water into the entrance tunnel. One-by-one, they were picked off by Mirelurks until a group of less than 7 reached the coast. Their fallen vault dwellers had distracted the Mirelurks. Though they reached the nearby settlement of Buxton together, they all went their separate ways. Today Vault 110 is a Mirelurk breeding ground. Much of the interior itself has corroded and collapsed, though the diner and parts of the atrium remain surprisingly intact. The roof above has collapsed, flooding the atrium with a foot or two of water,.depending on the incline of the floor. Sunlight pours into the former bomb shelter through the collapsed roof. Barnacles and rust cling to nearly every surface. Eerily absent are the skeletons of the former residents. Their bones were picked clean and eaten by Mirelurks for their shells. However, in locked rooms, heaps of skeletons can still be found from where desperate denizens of the Vault attempted to climb over each other as they ran out of air. Layout The Vault was divided into four levels; maintenance, living quarters, work stations, and recreation areas. Maintenance The maintenance wing includes the heavy Vault door to the flooded caves of Vault 110. It also includes the water chip, reactor, pip-boy programming, workshops, laundry room, incinerator, and computer wing. The maintenance wing is almost always underwater whike every surface is covered by mirelurk eggs. Living Quarters The living quarters of the Vault contained the various residential rooms for the vault dwellers. These include single and family units. There are also several kitchens in the residential area along with washrooms. Since the depopulation of the Vault, several rooms are abandoned and are being used as storage areas. Furthermore, there are several sunken rooms that have been condemned. These areas are eerily empty. The sounds of nearby Mirelurks can be heard frequently. Work Stations The work stations contain several areas for work. It included the classrooms, the clinic, an automated PippyCola plant, and a salt-water taffy production facility. These areas are infested by Mirelurks and, in the case of the bottling plant, Pippylurks. Recreation Areas The recreation areas included the various gathering rooms, an arcade, diners, and a cigar lounge. The denizens of the vault gatheres here for enjoyment. Game nights occur here every Friday in the lounge between the Mirelurk Kings. Why they still do this beyond anyone's wildest theory. Category:Places Category:Vaults